CST Brands Inc. convenience store managers gather at the company headquarters to taste test new products, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014. The products ranged from fried chicken to sriracha-spiced whoopee pies, in the center topped with pretzel bits. less

CST Brands Inc. convenience store managers gather at the company headquarters to taste test new products, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014. The products ranged from fried chicken to sriracha-spiced whoopee pies, in the ... more

Sandra Hoffman (left) of San Antonio, and Terri Davidson of Austin, take a break as CST Brands Inc. convenience store managers gather at the company headquarters to taste test new products, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014. The products ranged from fried chicken to sriracha-spiced whoopee pies. less

Sandra Hoffman (left) of San Antonio, and Terri Davidson of Austin, take a break as CST Brands Inc. convenience store managers gather at the company headquarters to taste test new products, Tuesday, Jan. 21, ... more

Green, a zone manager for some of CST Brands Inc.'s convenience stores in Houston, also gushed over the taste of a tequila-lime sausage drizzled with the popular Asian condiment.

“That was worth it,” she said, wiping the spicy sauce from a corner of her mouth.

As for the sriracha-spiced whoopie pie, “It was fabulous,” Green said. “I like all the textures and the kick. You get a little hint of spice, and then salty from the pretzels on top. It's awesome.”

She was one of nearly 700 Corner Store managers that CST gathered Tuesday at its headquarters near the University of Texas at San Antonio to sample new products they could offer back home to help increase same-store sales.

Beer, cigarettes and soft drinks provide a majority of the company's sales, and about 60 percent of customers only purchase one item when they visit a store.

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“You have some customers that always stick to the basics,” said Lisa Villarreal, who manages one of the company's larger format locations near Culebra Road and Loop 1604. “But others really experiment with the new food.

“The sriracha should do really well,” she predicted.

CST's recent focus on its food service might stem partly from increased pressure from competitors in its own backyard.

In August 2012, 7-Eleven Inc. announced it would return to San Antonio after leaving the market nearly a quarter-century ago. Within months, the company acquired at least 70 existing convenience stores in Bexar County and plans to stagger its conversion of each location to the 7-Eleven brand.

Fans of the stores eagerly welcomed the company — and its famous Slurpees — back to the local market, where 7-Eleven will launch some of its fresh-food concept stores soon.

Similarly, Susser Holdings Corp., headquartered in Corpus Christi, has fostered a strong following for its food selection.

Under the Stripes brand, Susser operates more than 550 convenience stores in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, and locations that house a Laredo Taco Co. often see lines of customers waiting for fresh breakfast tacos or chicken and fajita plates for lunch.

At CST, the push to expand its private-label and fresh-food purchases followed the chain's official launch as San Antonio's third-largest publicly traded company in May.

Since its spinoff from San Antonio's Valero Energy Corp., CST has been able to reinvest in new initiatives to increase sales rather than sending revenues back to a parent company, CEO Kim Bowers said.

Under new Director of Fresh Foods Richard Poye, CST recently began sending bottles of sriracha to its stores for customers to use as a condiment on hot dogs and other savory, ready-to-go food. The company plans to expand that category with new items, including a tequila and lime-infused sausage that executives said tested well with female customers.

In Little Rock, Ark., more than 40 percent of sales at manager David Napier's store comes from food — the highest percentage of the nearly 1,900 Corner Stores in the U.S. and Canada.

“Truckers really like the sriracha,” he said. “We do fish on Fridays, and if they can't get Louisiana hot sauce, they'll grab whatever sriracha they can find.”

Some of the other popular items at CST's trade show included fried chicken and shrimp, hot cinnamon rolls and new frozen drinks, including dragon fruit and Big Red-inspired flavors.

Local companies, such as Hill Country Bakery and its coffee cake, also were fast favorites among the noisy crowds of managers filling CST bags with product samples.

Del Monte, one of about 100 suppliers hoping to score a sale at the trade show, featured fresh-food concepts at its booth near the fried and grilled section.

The manufacturer's District Sales Manager Kristen Catalani said fruit cups sold well, as did protein salads. Those pre-packaged meals boasted a relatively long shelf life and included a wrapped mint, which should attract female customers, Catalani said.